The best Cabinet locks, compared.
Top pick: VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys – Highest score, 88, for a stated 16 mm cylinder, 19 mm drill, panel up to 12.5 mm, and 4.5 from 2,762 reviews. Best value: shinfly 16 mm cam lock with 5 plates – Lowest shelf price, about £5.49, with five plates, after the top-pick badge is already used. Updated 20.10.2026.
A cabinet lock here is a short cylinder and a cam for a cupboard, a drawer, a locker or a letterbox. You are usually replacing a lost key, shutting a shared-house drawer, or swapping a locker lock. A sound one at these prices is a zinc body that still turns after a few months, a nut that holds, and a key plan you chose on purpose. It is not a BS 3621 door lock, not a safe, and not a child-safety strap. Cabinet Locks rank is a sales rank, not a security mark. The [cabinet lock buying guide](/hub/burglar-protection/cabinet-lock/sub/cabinet-lock-buying-guide) sets out thickness, hole shape and the legal limit.
A cabinet lock here is a short cylinder and a cam for a cupboard, a drawer, a locker or a letterbox. You are usually replacing a lost key, shutting a shared-house drawer, or swapping a locker lock.
18 products checked · 54 hrs invested · +16,200 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you locking?
The VOCIBO B4S01 is a 16 mm zinc-alloy cam lock at £5.99 on amazon.co.uk, with an 18 mm body, a stated 19 mm drill and a panel limit of 12.5 mm. Across 2,762 reviews at 4.5, buyers fit it as a same-size replacement on a domestic letterbox after a lost key, and on thin drawers and lockers. The box includes four keys that can be removed locked or unlocked, plus five lock plates. A stored UK review says the square tail would not take a star-shaped cam, so the old plate is not guaranteed to fit this barrel. Another buyer doubted the metal on a trailer-cage gate. Cabinet Locks rank 1 is a sales rank, not a BS 3621 or Sold Secure mark. On a very thin door it is only casual privacy, which is the limit of this whole set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A thin letterbox, drawer or locker up to 12.5 mm, when you want the largest UK review file in this set for a 16 mm cam lock.
Less suitable: A star-shaped cam you hoped to reuse, a thick cupboard door, or any cabinet that needs a BS 3621 or controlled-drugs lock.
Specifications
Common questions
What hole does the listing say to drill?
A 19 mm hole. The same listing says the body diameter is 18 mm and the cylinder length is 16 mm, for a panel up to 12.5 mm.
Are the four keys keyed alike with other locks?
The listing is one lock with four keys, and the key can be removed locked or unlocked. It does not say that several locks share a key.
Is a security standard named?
No. The Cabinet Locks rank of 1 is a sales rank on amazon.co.uk, not a BS or Sold Secure mark.
The shinfly SFY-LBL is a 16 mm cam lock at £5.49, with four keys, five plates at 3.2 cm and 4.7 cm, and a hex nut for a panel the listing caps at 12 mm. It holds 4.5 from 1,741 amazon.co.uk reviews, and buyers describe a simple locker replacement when one of those plates reaches the frame. The fitting bullet says drill 18 mm, while a stored review says the photos show 17 mm, and a 17 mm hole in fibreboard was too tight to push the body in. Clips are called flimsy and too short, and one washer was thick enough that it had to be cut down. The seller note says the cylinder should sit 5–6 mm longer than the case so a 4 mm hex nut can tighten. It is the best value here if you drill the 18 mm the bullet states, not the size in the photograph.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A thin locker or letterbox up to 12 mm, when you want the lowest price in this set and you will drill the 18 mm the bullet states.
Less suitable: Anyone who drills the 17 mm shown in a photo, or a panel thicker than 12 mm where the nut cannot bite.
Specifications
Common questions
What hole size is stated?
The fitting bullet says drill 18 mm. A stored review says the photos show 17 mm, and a 17 mm hole in fibreboard was too tight.
How thick a panel does the listing allow?
Up to 12 mm. The seller note says the cylinder should be 5–6 mm longer than the case so a 4 mm hex nut can tighten.
Does it name a security standard?
No. The bullet claims resistance to prying. No BS or Sold Secure number is on the listing.
The Mclcvp7re DUYIT07 pack is two keyed cam locks at £6.99, each a 22 mm cylinder for a 16 mm hole, and the listing says the keys are not alike. It scores 4.3 from 345 amazon.co.uk reviews. One buyer replaced a work-drawer lock and still called it sturdy after a year when the existing hole matched. The supplied screws are a repeated miss: too short to bite a modern kitchen-cupboard door, and too large a gauge for countersunk holes. Stored reviews include plugs that seized so the cupboard had to be broken open, and locks that had to be drilled out because the key would not turn. Two different keys at this price only help if each door should stay on its own key and the screws actually reach the timber.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Two drawers or cupboards that already have a 16 mm hole and should not share a key.
Less suitable: A kitchen door that needs longer screws, a thin letterbox, or a run of cupboards you want on one key.
Specifications
Common questions
Will one key open both locks?
No. The listing says the keys are not alike and each lock is unique.
What hole does it fit?
A 16 mm mounting hole. Cylinder length is 22 mm and the diameter is 16 mm. The face is given as 36 x 36 x 6 mm. Panel thickness is not stated.
What went wrong in the reviews?
Stored reviews include screws too short for a kitchen door, and locks that seized so the cupboard had to be broken open. Others report an easy fit in an existing work-drawer hole.
The Litensh LTS37 is a single 22 mm cam lock at £5.99 for a 19 mm hole, with two keys and a listing that says keyed different. Among 1,015 reviews at 4.1, fitting is often called easy, including a work-van drawer finished in about five minutes when the hole already matched the printed size. Panel thickness is not stated, and a backset of 26 mm is printed, so a thick cupboard door is still a guess. Reviewers call the flange narrow and a plastic part inside cheap. Several say the lock came apart within days of fitting, the plug stuck closed, or it stopped working after about a month. It belongs on a door whose 19 mm hole and 22 mm body already agree, as a light lock you can replace, not as something the reviews show lasting a year.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cupboard or drawer that already has a 19 mm hole and needs one keyed-different lock you can afford to replace.
Less suitable: A thin letterbox, a door you cannot open if the plug seizes, or anyone who needs a stated panel thickness before ordering.
Specifications
Common questions
What hole and length are listed?
Cylinder length 22 mm, cylinder diameter 19 mm, for a 19 mm hole. A backset of 26 mm is also printed. Panel thickness is not stated.
Do the two keys match other locks?
The listing says keyed different: other keys cannot open this lock. It is one lock, not a keyed-alike set.
What do stored reviews say about durability?
Among 50 UK reviews, easy fitting is common. Others say it came apart within days, a plastic part broke, or it stopped working after about a month.
The Lpraer IIUS00218 pack is two three-digit combination cam locks at £12.39, default code 0-0-0, for a 19 mm hole. The specification line says a 1-1/8 inch cylinder for 7/8 inch material, while the title says 30 mm, so this is the long body in the set rather than a 16 mm letterbox cylinder. The listing claims 1,000 combinations and includes a reset stick for the hole at the back. It shows 4.0 from 288 reviews, but 14 UK texts kept for this comparison include a large share that describe a code that would not set, a second lock that was not on 0-0-0, or a body that broke in the first week. Some buyers still called the build sturdy and ordered more for the same job. Leave the code on 0-0-0 and the claimed combinations do nothing. It suits a locker you would rather open without a key, once you have changed the code and opened the lock again before you shut the door.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A locker or cupboard with a 19 mm hole and a panel near the stated 7/8 inch, where you can test a new code before the door is shut.
Less suitable: A thin letterbox, anyone who will leave 0-0-0 unchanged, or a cabinet you cannot open if the new code fails.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the default code?
0-0-0. The listing says to change it by pressing the hole at the back with the stick while you set the new code. Stored reviews include locks that were not on 0-0-0 and codes that would not set.
What hole and thickness are listed?
A 19 mm hole. The specification line says a 1-1/8 inch cylinder for 7/8 inch material. The title says 30 mm. That is thicker than the 16 mm letterbox locks in this set.
What do the UK review texts say about the code?
The listing shows 4.0 from 288 reviews. Fourteen UK texts kept for this comparison include codes that would not change and a lock that broke in the first week.
Five amazon.co.uk cam locks were scored from the listings kept after the category check and from the UK review notes already stored. Shelf date 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A hole, a panel thickness or a key plan is the claim on that page, not a measurement made on a door. The four weights below sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. The best shelf price among the remaining keyed cam locks with plates is the best value.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a volume add when the count is large. A deduction when the stored UK sample is small and the faults in that sample are a large share of the texts. Review texts from other Amazon marketplaces score nothing as UK opinion.
Listing fit
35%A stated hole and cylinder length, a stated panel thickness, and plates or a documented reset. A hole bullet that clashes with the photos is deducted. A missing panel thickness is deducted. Nut detail left unknown is deducted.
Review outcome
20%UK reviews that describe a letterbox or drawer that locked, a cam that would not fit, a hole that was too tight, a plug that seized, a plastic part, or a code that would not set.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP in this set, only after the listing is still a cam lock for a cupboard, drawer, locker or letterbox. A low price does not score when the stored reviews are mostly a seized plug or a code that will not change.
Match the lock to the hole and the panel before you compare the star line. A nut-fix cam lock, a snap-ring cam lock and a three-digit combination lock do different jobs, and a cut furniture lock or a child latch is not this set. The five prices below are the amazon.co.uk shelves on 19 October 2026, from about £5.49 to about £12.39. The honest limit is casual opening. The door and the hinges are weaker than the cylinder.
A cabinet lock in this comparison is a mechanical lock for a cupboard, a drawer, a locker or a letterbox: a short cylinder and a cam that turns behind the frame. Buyers are replacing a lost key, shutting a shared-house drawer, or swapping a locker lock. The hole and the panel thickness come before the star rating. A sound one at these prices is a zinc body that still works after a few months, a nut that holds, a cam that reaches the frame, and a key plan chosen on purpose.
Body length stops at the end of the barrel. The cam is extra. Too short a body and the nut does not bite. The shinfly note says the cylinder should sit 5–6 mm longer than the case so a 4 mm hex nut can tighten. The VOCIBO listing does not state the nut.
The shinfly bullet says drill 18 mm. A stored review says the photos show 17 mm, and a 17 mm hole in fibreboard was too tight. Drill the figure in the fitting line, then try the body before you commit the cam. A hole that is already oval needs a locksmith, not a larger bit.
Four keys on one amazon.co.uk cylinder are copies of that lock. Keyed alike means the same body length, ordered together, from a supplier who cuts them that way. The Mclcvp7re listing says the two locks do not share a key. Leaving a combination lock on 0-0-0 has the same sort of miss: the claimed combinations are not in use.
Panel thickness and body length come first. Body length is from the back of the head to the end of the body, cam excluded. Too short and the nut does not bite. In this set the VOCIBO states a panel up to 12.5 mm with a 16 mm cylinder and a 19 mm drill. The shinfly states up to 12 mm, about 16 mm long, and an 18 mm drill. The Litensh is a 22 mm cylinder for a 19 mm hole, and the panel thickness is not stated. The Mclcvp7re pair is a 22 mm cylinder for a 16 mm hole, again with no panel thickness.
The cam has to reach the frame. Length, offset and rotation differ: straight or cranked, 90 degrees or 180 degrees. The old plate may not fit. A stored VOCIBO review says the square tail would not take a star-shaped cam. The VOCIBO and the shinfly include five plates. The shinfly plates are given as 3.2 cm and 4.7 cm. The Litensh includes one lock buckle. The Mclcvp7re and the Lpraer do not state cam plates. Choose the key plan on purpose.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a lost key, an existing hole in thin metal or a drawer up to 12.5 mm, and you want spare keys. The VOCIBO states a 16 mm cylinder, a 19 mm drill and five plates. Stored reviews include letterbox replacements. It is casual privacy, and a star-shaped cam may not fit the square tail.
You already have two 16 mm holes and each door should stay on its own key. The Mclcvp7re pair says the keys are not alike, at about £6.99. The supplied screws were too short for a kitchen door in stored reviews, and panel thickness is not stated.
You have a 19 mm hole and a panel near the stated 7/8 inch, and you would rather not carry a key. The Lpraer pair defaults to 0-0-0. Change the code and open the lock again before you shut the door. Stored texts include codes that would not set.
The top pick is the VOCIBO 16 mm cam lock, score 88, at about £5.99. It is the highest total for a stated 16 mm cylinder, a 19 mm drill, a panel up to 12.5 mm, four keys and five plates, with 4.5 from 2,762 reviews. A square tail missed a star cam in one stored review, and the nut is not described, so the fit score is not a full mark. The best value is the shinfly, score 84, at about £5.49, the cheapest complete plate set once the top-pick badge is already used. Drill the 18 mm the bullet states. A review says the photos show 17 mm, and a 17 mm fibreboard hole was too tight. Neither badge is a lab result, and neither lock is a BS 3621 door lock.
VOCIBO 16 mm letterbox cam lock, 4 keys
Highest score, 88, for a stated 16 mm cylinder, 19 mm drill, panel up to 12.5 mm, and 4.5 from 2,762 reviews.
shinfly 16 mm cam lock with 5 plates
Lowest shelf price, about £5.49, with five plates, after the top-pick badge is already used.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for measurement, keying and the legal limit. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines from 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
